Education

The Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities develops future leaders in the field through indisciplinary teaching on medicine and its ethical implications. Our center contributes to all four years of the medical curriculum, offers a Master of Arts degree, and presents many public lectures.

Learn more via the links below.

MA Students
Get information about our Master of Arts in Medical Humanities & Bioethics program

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

The center strongly encourages applications from minority candidates who are under-represented in our specialty, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, and LGBT students.

Northwestern University does not discriminate or permit discrimination by any member of its community against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, marital status, age, disability, citizenship, or veteran status in matters of admissions, employment, housing, or services or in the educational programs or activities it operates.

“
This education has allowed me an opportunity to understand the means by which I can apply an ethical framework for moral conduct in the course of both my research and my interaction with patients and families.”

— Mandy Browning, MA Student

“
As a future clinician, my hope is to be able to write. Not necessarily published papers, but offer new perspectives, to dispel myths and inaccuracies of the profession.”

— Brian Chou, MD/MA Student

“
I absolutely love the diversity of the program. They invite teachers and experts from law, sociology, literature, history, and more to lecture.”

— Brian Chou, MD/MA Student

“
Solving an ethical dilemma is not simply a matter of your personal sense of right or wrong - it requires training to be able to understand a situation from all perspectives. ”

— Estefy Fiallos, MD/MA Student

“
The program gave me the incredible opportunity to take a reflective step back and to think more broadly about what I’m doing in my medical training and what kind of doctor I am striving to become.”

— Aryeh Goldberg, MD/MA Student

“
The faculty are not only warm, welcoming, supportive and encouraging – they are true experts in their fields, revered and well-respected across the country. This was evident during my residency interviews when many people would ask if I had the chance to meet with this or that MH&B professor. I was able to proudly state that I’ve worked closely with them.”

— Aryeh Goldberg, MD/MA Student

“
Other programs were focused on bioethics from a strictly legal or philosophical vantage point. This program does that, but has also expanded my skills and interests, giving tremendous depth to my understanding of the field.”

— Aryeh Goldberg, MD/MA Student

“
The practice of medicine is and always has been so much more than science and drugs and evidence. Attempting to understand the human complexities surrounding healthcare can only prepare us for what lies ahead.”

— Catherine Groden, MD/MA Student

“
I hope to be a part of an ethics committee during residency and beyond. I also think that medical humanities and bioethics will allow me to better care for and understand my patients in my everyday practice.”

— Sean Posada, MD/MA Student

“
As a non-traditional student, the MH&B program seemed like a way to stay connected with my background in the humanities and to integrate it into my future practice of medicine.”

— Margaret Russel, MD/MA Student

“
I am interested in health justice and advocacy, and I believe that the skills I gained through the MH&B program will allow me to be involved in shaping the future of healthcare policy in the United States.”